Recently I purchased a great new device called an Amazon Kindle (2nd Generation). It is roughly 8" x 5" in size and about as thin a standard NO. 2 pencil. This Kindle 2 has been wonderful! I can take my books anywhere in a single slim unit, listen to audio books, MP3 files and...with the help of MobiPocket Creator 4.2 Professional (a free program) I can now change my PDF's and Word docs to Kindle format! Reading this is like reading a "normal" printed book. The text is crisp, the pages "flutter" when you turn them...but it has even more benefits.
What does this mean? I can even create my own eBooks for a variety of devices as well as books for the Kindle!
I have been working on combining all my patterns (with corrections kindly posted to me by caring handcrafters) into a single eBook. This single book will be available for a very small fee when completed; and now I can also create and post it for the Kindle reader as well. I am currently working on this so it will not be available yet...but I would like to hear from you with ideas about the formats of eBooks that you would most like. Please comment or email me at AutumnRa@gmail.com.
It will be so nice to have all my patterns in one spot. I will be able to carry ALL my patterns with me when I travel and on the Kindle you can annotate the text with notes too. (Yes, I do like my Kindle!)
Another feature of the Kindle I am enjoying? I can view my Blog and website in Advanced Web settings right on the Kindle as well as reading my Gmail email. The Whispernet makes it so nice! I don't have to "connect" to the internet through the computer when I am traveling or away from home. I can still download books directly from Amazon or check my blogs and email.
Another feature is that I can jot down notes to myself, pattern ideas and more in a personal note document. I can even convert and read my other personal documents on my Kindle and upload them from my computer.
As I mentioned before, I am Legally Blind. This little device has a text size change ability and will even "text-to-speech" read a lot of your text to you (where allowed by authors/publishing houses). The sound is similar to the computer generated text recognition programs for the Blind (like JAWS). I have not tried the audible.com audio books on it yet but the documentation says it does play audio books as well. When I tested the MP3 files I was in for a BIG surprise...the sound was great!
At the end of June 2009, Amazon is releasing the new Kindle DX. It is available for pre-order at Amazon.com now.
This is about the size of a Notebook (10.5" x 7.4") with native PDF files capability (no need to convert most PDF files). The DX also has a rotation feature that allows you to look at images in a landscape format.
It is expensive but I will be looking at saving up for this as well if the Kindle continues to assist and entertain me as well as it is now! lol
